Shoe-form.



No. 805,379. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. J. A. NILES.

SHOE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 190s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHOE-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed April 26, 1905. Serial No, 257,415.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. NILEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Forms; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to forms to be inserted into boots orshoes for the purpose R of holding in shape the uppers thereof, and

more particularly to a so-called hollow form.

The objects of the present invention are to produce a hollow form soconstructed and arranged as to be inserted into a boot or shoe andremoved therefrom and which shall be of light yet secure construction.

A further object of the invention is to produce a two-part form and toso connect the parts together that when inserted in the boot or shoe thepressure of the upper will tend to keep the parts in normal operativeposition.

A further object of the invention is to produce a form provided with ayielding brace at the fore part so constructed and arranged as to beadjustable for varying widths of shoes. I 7

To the above ends the present invention consists of the improvedshoe-form, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

My improvedShoe-form is shown in the companying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows the form in side elevation and illustrating in dottedlines the movement of the heel-section for shortening the form. Fig. 2shows an under side plan view of the form. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinalsection, and Fig. A a transverse section.

Similar reference characters will be employed throughout thespecification and drawings to designate corresponding parts.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, my improved form or followercomprises two sections, a front section 1, embracing the toe and instepportion, and a heel-section 2, both sections being formed of thin sheetmaterial, preferably of a fibrous nature, suchas a vulcanizedpaper-stock, and, as shown in the drawings, both sections are preferablyopen at the bottom, the heel-section being preferably provided with theinturned flange 3. The heelsection is pivotally connected to thefore-part section by means of a rivet or bar 4, which is received inapertures or eyelets formed in the overlapping portions of therespective sections, the fore-part section being preferably inserted inthe heel-section and the rivet or bar 4: being upset, all in a mannerwell known to those skilled in the art.

In order to prevent the form from collapsing at its pivotal point byside pressure, I provide a brace to bear upon the inner surfaces of thefore-part section at its pivotal point, which brace may consist ofcollars or washers suitably secured to the rivet or bar 4:, butpreferably consists of a short metallic tube 5, fitted upon the rivet orbar land of such a length as to bear at its ends against the innersurface of the fore-part section, all as clearly shown in the drawings,thus bracing and supporting the sides of the form at the pivotal pointto prevent a collapse or compression of the form at this point.

It will be noted in the drawings that the pivot is at such a point abovethe bottom of the form and at such a distance from the forward ends ofthe heel-section that when the heel-section 2 is turned upward andforward for the purpose of shortening the form to remove it from theboot or shoe the lower ends 5 of the heel-section, as shown in dottedlines, Fig. 1, will be projected below the bottom line of the fore-partsection, so that in removing the form from a shoe the upward swing ofthe heel-section will cause an upward movement of the fore-part section,thus throwing the instep portion of the fore-part section against theinstep of the shoe, and the result of this construction is that when theheel-section is forced downward and backward into the shoe when itreaches its operative position in the shoe the pressure of the instepportion of the upper of the shoe on the instep portion of the fore part1 will tend to lift upward the forward ends 5 of the heel-section, andthus maintain the heel-section down in proper operative position in theshoe.

I consider the arrangement just described to be an important feature ofmy invention that is to say, the location of the hinge in a two-partform or last in such aposition that the lower forward ends of theheel-section will swing below the base-line of the fore-part section.thus utilizing the pressure of the shoe on the instep portion of thefore-part section for the purpose of resisting the upward movement ofthe middle section, acting as a lock to retain the parts in operativeposition, and I do not consider that this feature of my invention islimited to a hollow form.

For the purpose of preventing the ball portion of the fore-part sectionfrom collapsing under pressure I have provided a brace 7, which consistsof a thin piece of sheet-steel curved to conform to the transverse innersurface of the fore-part section at the ball portion, which is pivotallyconnected at its center by a pivot 8, so as to swing slightly about itspivot, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. The ends of this brace bearagainst the sides of the fore-part section at the ball portion andresist the compressive strains imparted thereto when inserted in a shoe,and by pivoting this brace to the fore-part section, as described, theform is adapted to be adjusted to different widths of shoes, for, aswill be seen, when extending directly across the ball portion it will beof a length to fit a given Width of shoe and when swung about its pivotit will be adjusted to lit a narrower shoe.

Having described my invention, I claim as supported upon the rivet orbar and bearing at its ends against the inner surfaces of the sides ofthe form, substantially as described.

3. A hollow form formed of thin sheet material open at the bottom andprovided at or near the ball portion with a spring-brace extendingtransversely and conforming to the interior of the ball portion andpivotally secured thereto at or near its center, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. NILES.

Witnesses:

T. HART ANDERSON, MAY A. KENNEY.

